In a conventional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning or refrigeration (HVAC/R) cycle, a compressor compresses a refrigerant and delivers the compressed refrigerant to a downstream condenser. From the condenser, the refrigerant passes through an expansion device, and subsequently, to an evaporator. The refrigerant from the evaporator is returned to the compressor. In a split system heating and/or cooling system, the condenser may be known as an outdoor heat exchanger and the evaporator as an indoor heat exchanger, when the system operates in a cooling mode. In a heating mode, their functions are reversed.
During a cooling mode operation, a blower circulates air through the casing of the fan coil assembly, where the air cools as it passes over the evaporator coil. The blower then circulates the air to a space to be cooled. Typically, a refrigerant is enclosed in piping that is used to form the evaporator coil. If the temperature of the evaporator coil surface is lower than the dew point of air passing over it, the evaporator coil removes moisture from the air. Specifically, as air passes over the evaporator coil, water vapor condenses on the evaporator coil. The condensate drain pan of the evaporator assembly collects the condensed water as it drips off of the evaporator coil. The collected condensation may then drain out of the condensate drain pan through at least one drain hole or port in the condensate drain pan.
However, during some conditions, such as the exemplary condition where positive static air pressure exists in the evaporator, the flow of collected condensation is blocked or significantly impeded by airflow at the condensate drain pan port. Such impedance may elevate the amount of collected condensation in the condensate drain pan and cause the condensation to flow over the top edge of the condensate drain pan and onto blower, furnace, and/or other HVAC/R equipment. Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a condensate drain pan port that allows proper drainage of condensate drain pans.